Apparatus for generating oxygen, especially for breathing purposes



Jun 21, 1938. M. HAusMANN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OXYGEN, ESPECIALLYFOR BREATHING PURPOSES Max Haus mann .alii

Filed oct. 8, 193e all In ven f or Patented June 21, 193s PATENT QFFICEAPPARATUS FOR GENERATING OXYGEN,

ESPECIALLY FOR. BREATHING PURPOSES Max Hausmann,Berlin-Zehlendorf-Mitte, Germany, assignor to I.

G. Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfort-on-the-Main, GermanyApplication October 8,

1936, Serial No. 104,586

In Germany November 27, 1935 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for generating oxygen,especially `for breathing purposes, and is a modiiication of certaindetails of apparatus which have been disclosed and claimed in myco-pending application bearing Ser. No. 104,585A of even date herewithand entitled improvements in or relating to Apparatus for generatingoxygen, especially for breathing purposes.

In cases of gas poisoning and similar contingencies extensive use ismade, for articial respiration, of portable oxygen rescue apparatus, i.e`., a box in which there is disposed a suitable source of oxygentogether with a respiratory bag and the pipe connections necessary fordelivering the oxygen to the bag and thence to the patient. The sourceof oxygen may be a cylinder of compressed oxygen gas. However,particular advantages are afforded by the use, for this purpose, ofchemical compositions in which the oxygen is generated by thermaldecomposition of substances such as chlorates and/or perchlorates in thepresence of an oxidizablematerial such as iron or iron oxide. Generallythese compositions are employed in the form of a moulded body which isenclosed in a metal casing and in which the reaction producing oxygen,once it is started by a suitable ignition device, proceeds along thelength of the body with generation of a substantially constant currentof oxygen. A device of this kind is described, for example, in Britishspecication 451,170.

In oxygen rescue apparatus of the foregoing kind there is always thepossibility of the case or housing enclosing the oxygen-generating bodybeing closed up after the rescue work without removing the still highlyheated and in many cases not completely consumed oxygen-generating bodytherefrom. The accumulation of heat ensuing from such procedure may leadto damage to the whole apparatus, and particularly to the respiratorybag.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus whichefciently prevents the closing up of the housing or box containing theoxygen-generating body prior to the removal of the partly or Whollyspent body therefrom.

The invention is based on the consideration that, in order to remove aspent cartridge from said housing or box, it is necessary to uncouplethe connection between said cartridge and the pipes provided forconducting the generated oxygen to the point of consumption, and on theconsideration that, when such uncoupling is deliberately carried out, itwill not be forgotten to remove the exhausted cartridge or cartridgesfrom said housing or box.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows a -device according to thepresent invention in elevation, whilst Figure 2 is a detail of saiddevice on an enlarged scale and Figure 3 is a plan view of part of thedevice showing the detail of the valve.

With reference to Figure 1, a base-plate c is pivoted on a hinge m in aprotective housing or box l provided with a suitable lid (not shown),said plate being provided at both ends with rests for receiving thecylindrical container a supplying the oxygen. At the top end of thecontainer there is provided an ignition knob b, which lies close to theWall of the housing when the plate is in the lowered position, while itslower end is, by means of a screw coupling g, connected with pipe. f forleading away the evolved oxygen to a main pipe 1c with connection piecel by way of valve h. e is a notch catch fitted between the twocontainers and provided with a spring, said catch locking the base-platein the raised position when said plate is raised into the workingposition with the aid of the handle n. Connection pipe f is made ofmetal, in order to avoid its being damaged by the heat, and inaccordance with the invention it serves at the same time as a lever toopen or close valve h. A spring z' causes an automatic closing of thevalve h when the screw coupling is disconnected.

When the apparatus is put into use the lid of the box is rst opened andthe base plate together with the container lying thereon is raised bymeans of the handle n until the catch e springs into locking position(see Fig. 1). The ignition cap, hitherto protected from being actuatedby the wall of the box, is thus exposed. After actuating the ignitiondevice a uniform current of oxygen is evolved, the dissipation of theheat thus developed being facilitated by the inclined position of thecontainer a. The oxygen passes through pipe i and through valve h intothe main pipe 7c, and is conducted through the connection Z to the placeof consumption.

With reference to Figure 2, the valve cone h is provided with a cam o,while the base plate c this swing is to cause the cam o to press thenose r mounted on the catch spring back into the original position, andthus enable the base-plate to be lowered on to the floor of the case, sothat the case can then be closed.

The detail of the valve cone h may be seen in Fig. 3. As shown the pipej is connected to the oxygen-generating cylinder by means of coupling g.In this position the opening in the valve cone h registers with theopening in main pipe lc thereby permitting passage of oxygen from thecylinder a through pipe f, and valve h into main pipe 1c whence itpasses into the connection piece l. It is clear that when pipe ,f isuncoupled and assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, theopening in the Valve cone h is turned in the opposite direction and thevalve cone h then serves to close olf the pipe f from the main pipe 1c.

Obviously, the arrangement may be easily so modified as to provide twoor more separate containers mounted on the same base plate and working,with their delivery pipes, on the main connection l.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for generating oxygen comprising a housing, a base platepivotally mounted near one of its ends in said housing whereby said baseplate may be raised from an inoperative position within the housing toan inclined or operative position, means for locking the base plate inoperative position, means for detachably securing a cartridge containingoxygen generating material to said base plate, a connection memberpivotally mounted in said housing adjacent said base plate pivotcarrying means at one end for coupling said connection member to saidcartridge, means rigidly attached to the opposite end of said connectionmember for disengaging said locking means and a spring attached to saidconnection member for maintaining the locks disengaging means inoperative position when said coupling means is not attached to acartridge.

2. Apparatus for generating oxygen comprising a housing, a base platepivotally mounted near one of its ends in said housing whereby said baseplate may be raised from an inoperative position within said housing toan inclined or operative position, an opening in said base plate, acatch resiliently mounted in said housing protruding through saidopening, means for detachably securing a cartridge containing oxygengenerating material to said base plate, a connection member pivotallymounted in said housing adjacent said base plate pivot carrying means atone end for coupling said connection member to said cartridge, theopposite end of said connection member forming a cam, a spring attachedto said connection member for maintaining said cam in contact with saidcatch to hold the same in inoperative position when said coupling meansis not attached to a cartridge said catch being so constructed andpositioned as to spring into engagement with said base plate and lockthe same when the base plate is raised to operative position and saidcoupling means is attached to a cartridge.

MAX HAUSMANN.

